When Umarex announced its all-new Komplete NCR air rifle a few weeks ago, I just had to get my hands on one for testing. The Komplete NCR air rifle is making a quick name for itself and getting a lot of attention, and for good reason—it's a Godsend for pre-charged pneumatic (PCP) airgun enthusiasts who don't want to drag a pump or SCUBA tank around to shoot wherever they go.
Specifications
Power: Disposable NitroAir N2 Cartridges with 3,600 PSI (sold separately)
Caliber: .177 and .22
FPS: .177 up to 1125 with alloy pellet; .22 up to 1025 with alloy pellets
Shots per N2 Cartridge: 45+
Magazine (2 included): 12 rounds for .177; 10 rounds for .22
Sights: comes with a 4x12 with rings—no open sights
Picatinny Rail with M-LOK slots
Safety: Crossbolt type integrated into the trigger
Trigger: Adjustable for travel and breaking point was just under 2 lbs. on the rifle I tested
Action: Side lever
Noise: reduced by Umarex SilencAir Technology
Size: Right at 5 lbs. and 41.5” long
Test Results
When I received the rifle, I was very impressed by its weight and how balanced it was. “It points well,” as some would say. The stock is very ergonomically designed and has grip in just the right places. After reading the manual a few times and examining the rifle, I got busy taking it, some pellets and targets to my range to run it through the paces.
The temperature was already in the mid to upper 70s when I started testing the rifle, but I did not let that bother me because this rifle is powered by nitrogen gas, not CO2. No more worrying about seals and cold temps from the gas affecting repeating shots.
I set a target at 25 yards and got on the bench and loaded the two magazines that are provided with each gun with Brimstone pellets in .22 caliber. I love these pellets and have had some very good results with them in lots of other air rifles. The magazine for the Komplete is super easy to load. There is no counter on them to quickly see how many shots you have left, though.
During my testing of the rifle, I had a malfunction where a pellet got pulled back through the magazine and ended up inside the receiver. I think what happened was that I was unsure if I had loaded a pellet and went to check it and worked the side lever, removed the magazine and looked at the magazine. When I went to close the lever/bolt, it was stuck and would not go forward. I was careful not to force it and decided to call the company. They were very quick to answer and confirmed that I probably had a pellet stuck inside the receiver. This was a random occurrence. I used an eyeglass screwdriver and teased the pellet out by shaking the rifle. After that incident, I had no more problems even after I actually tried to work the rifle fast, slow and so on to see if the problem would present itself again. It did not.
After this, the rifle was smacking the target and making one big hole at 25 yards. I put a lot of pellets in that one hole (see the photo of the target with the rifle in this article) and decided to see what would happen at while working a target at 50 yards. The group at 25 yards was about 5/8 of an inch. I was shooting off a table, but not with sandbags or anything. I was impressed! The target at 50 yards printed groups averaging 1.5 inches. I think I could have done far better with a higher powered scope. The rifle seems totally capable. Still, 1.5 inches at 50 yards is good and can take out squirrels or rabbits in the head at that range!
The interesting thing about the shooting tests I was doing was that my shooting was initially with the Brimstone pellets. I switched to Daisy Max Speed flat nosed pellets, then to Gamo Red Fire pellets, Gamo T22 and or course back to the Brimstone pellets and points of impact were all within an inch of each other! I could literally go hunting with any of those pellets and collect game. Each printed one-hole groups when shooting at targets. Of course, I had to have some fun, so I also shot at some heavy walled vegetable cans at 50 yards and pellets were cutting through them. I actually got 50 full power shots during my tests.
The trigger is very light, but travel was initially long, but adjustable. There were no real rough spots in the trigger travel though, so I would give it a favorable rating after adjusting the travel some.
The sound of the Komplete NCR rifle going off is the not the quietest suppressed air rifle I have shot, but it is definitely less than a .22 rimfire rifle and thus, good for large backyards, stealthy squirrel hunts and other such uses. My mother in law was in the house next to my range and she never heard me shoot. I think that says a lot about how this rifle can be used in a setting where others are around.
In my humble opinion, the included scope is not the best option for this rifle. In my testing, I realized the gun far outperforms the scope. Don’t get me wrong, the 4x32 scope does work, but squirrels are more easily seen and hit with a better scope at 50 yards. The included scope took a few shots to “wake up” and start responding to the adjustments I was making. Once it started following my clicks, I was able to quickly get it zeroed.
In summary, the new nitrogen cartridge technology that Umarex has will be a game changer for PCP users. No longer do you need to shoot with a power source nearby to refill your air supply. The “leash” is off, the pellets are flying, and flying very accurately with this Komplete air rifle. Get yourself a higher-end scope with a little more magnification and a few extra N2 NitroAir cartridges, and go have some fun for less than $200! UmarexUSA.com
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